Abstract

HEREDIA GONZALEZ, José Manuel. Practical, Political and Administrative Obstacles to Professionalization of Mexican Local Police. Iztapalapa. Rev. cienc. soc. humanid. [online]. 2021, vol.42, n.90, pp.81-118.  Epub Jan 31, 2021. ISSN 2007-9176.  https://doi.org/10.28928/ri/902021/atc4/herediagonzalezj.

Since 2007, the professionalization of local police departments in Mexico has been a priority for all three levels of government. In 2008, the Federal Government established the Subsidy for Security in the Municipalities (SUBSEMUN), through which it provided more than $1.6 billion dollars between 2008 and 2015 to the country’s largest municipalities to strengthen their local police. However, progress was insufficient, and in many municipalities, the public’s distrust of local police and the incidence of high-impact crime remained the same or, in some cases, even increased. This paper investigates how municipalities used SUBSEMUN resources and analyzes the practical, political, and administrative obstacles that arose during the implementation of the professionalization tools promoted by the subsidy. The paper also offers some reflections on the design of subsidies for local police based on the study’s findings.

Keywords : police; public policy; professionalization; local governments; subsidies.